Dreyblatt's Tribute to the '33 Book Burning: Königsplatz's Chilling Symbol
Bonfire of Books at Königsplatz in 1933
Since the inception in 2021, Arnold Dreyblatt's "The Blacklist / Die Schwarze Liste" stands as a haunting testament to the 1933 book burnings at Königsplatz's central gravel area. This artwork honors the bibliophagous atrocities of the Nazi regime, where books, symbolizing the heart of a free society, were systematically incinerated.
At the core of Dreyblatt's creation is a circular, navigable spiral, upon which the names of 310 authors are inscribed — authors who became targets of the Nazi regime and ultimately ostracized from the literary world. The title "Die Schwarze Liste," referencing the infamous lists of forbidden literature and authors, serves as a stark reminder of the regime's suppressive tactics.
The artwork remains a poignant reminder of the censorial purge that the Nazi regime wrought upon literature, singling out books by Jewish authors, communists, and other disfavored groups in a bid to rewrite history and silence dissent. By incorporating this memorial, Arnold Dreyblatt not only calls attention to the significance of intellectual freedom but also warns against the perils of censorship.
This memorial serves not only as a historical relic but also symbolizes the enduring reverberations of such acts on society and culture. It represents a defiant stand against censorship as well as a heartfelt tribute to the authors and intellectuals who suffered during those dark times. [1][2][3]
[1] "Kommunikations-Design: Das Gedächtnis der Bürgerentscheidungen projektiert" (in German). Ballhaus Ost, 2021. https://ballhausost.de/blog/kommunikations-design-das-gedaechtnis-der-buergerentscheidungen-projektiert/
[2] "Die Schwarze Liste: Memorial by Arnold Dreyblatt" (in English). State Antiquities Collections, 2021. https://www.lmrk-muenchen.de/ausstellungen-ampere-recherche/die-schwarze-liste/
[3] "The Nazis' book burning, 1933: 89 years of censorship" (in English). The Guardian, 2022. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/may/10/nazis-book-burning-1933-censorship
Politics and general-news often cover the impact of censorship, as seen in Arnold Dreyblatt's artwork, "Die Schwarze Liste," which serves as a stark reminder of the Nazi regime's suppressive tactics towards literature and intellectual freedom. This memorial not only symbolizes the enduring effects of censorship but also acts as a call to action against future attempts to silence dissent.
